


time and time again

by haplesspunk



Category: Suits (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25956742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haplesspunk/pseuds/haplesspunk
Summary: Five ways Donna and Harvey did not meet.
Relationships: Donna Paulsen/Harvey Specter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	time and time again

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so it's probably been a year since I started this, lost motivation and forgot about it. A while ago I sent what I already had to my friend Amanda (@iamdonnaspecter on twitter), and she said I should finish it. Huge thanks to her for the encouragement, and for always putting up with me and to Luisa (@hellcsweetie) for being such a wonderful friend. Love you both.
> 
> Hope you guys like it!

_i._

Donna thinks she's more excited than she should be for her first day at her new job at the District Attorney's office, considering it's just another secretarial work. No one can blame her, though – her previous boss was a creepy asshole so whatever comes her way now is definitely a step up.

She liked her (old) job fine – it was the usual office work, her coworkers were all very friendly and she could leave for the occasional audition, even if her boss nagged incessantly about that. Above all that, it paid well enough, and it's not like her acting career is taking off. She couldn't afford to quit and survive on her savings.

It took her a while, but she finally gathered enough courage to resign. It sucks that she had to leave all the benefits behind because of her insufferable boss, but she hopes she can get along with the new one (or just enough that he'll let her leave for the occasional audition. That's all she wants).

She doesn't know much about him except for what her friend Bertha, who already works for the DA, told her. She'll be working for the assistant district attorney, Harvey Specter, some young hotshot who has bigger and better things waiting for him and won't stay working at the office forever – in her words.

That, to Donna, sounds perfect. She definitely does not plan to be a secretary for the rest of her life, so hopefully, by the time he leaves for whatever great thing he has in store, she'll resign as well because she'll finally be working as an actress.

She also learned Harvey was kind of a douchebag, the usual cocky lawyer. Not ideal, but she could deal with that as long as he left her the hell alone to do her job, and didn't turn out to be a creep like her previous boss.

Dressed in her best work clothes – a black sweater, a wine colored pencil skirt she bought the week she resigned (nothing like spending money to make herself feel better after losing her job) and her favorite pair of boots – she takes a detour to a nearby coffee shop; she just can't start a new job, a new _day_ without her weapon of choice, a big cup of steaming coffee with whipped cream and vanilla. As she walks to the entrance of the DA's office, she blows a breath, messing up with her bangs. She turns her nose, using her free hand to fix it and thinks she should stop getting it trimmed so she can finally grow it out.

As soon as she steps into the elevator, she knows she looks like the poster woman for confidence, the way she picks at the lid on her coffee cup the only thing announcing her nervousness. She takes a sip of her coffee, the familiar sweet concoction helping calm down her nerves. Before the elevator doors are about to close though, a young man steps into it and she stops mid-sip, getting too distracted to be nervous. Hair slicked back, dressed in a not-so-cheap black suit, he nods in her direction. He notices she'd already pushed the button for her floor, then turns to look at her fully for a second too long, his brown eyes shining with curiosity.

"You're new here."

She raises her eyebrows. "And you're…"

"Harvey Specter," he says and the smile he gives her is the sexiest she's ever seen, she's pretty sure of it. She's about to give him a flirty smile herself, but that train of thought suddenly comes to a halt as soon as she registers the name the guy gave her, which – _of course_ – is her new boss's name.

She notices he also offers his hand for her to shake. "Donna Paulsen."

She cocks her head at him. From what Bertha told her, he didn't seem the type to notice the people around him, especially those working under him. She figures he wouldn't even realize she's new on the floor.

Harvey visibly deflates at that. "Damn, I thought you'd be my new secretary, but her name is Debbie."

She looks down at their hands; his is a little calloused and warm and nice. She drops it, trying to ignore how she immediately misses it against hers. "Did they give you the wrong name or can't you keep girls's names straight in your head?"

He narrows his eyes, but the tone is humorous. "You're a smartass, aren't you?"

"It's part of my charm." She shrugs, a smirk appearing on her face.

He laughs just as the elevator door opens and he gets out, holding it for her. Donna doesn't look at him but she can definitely feel his eyes on her as she walks by.

"I like you already, _Debbie_. I'm sure we're gonna work together just fine."

She snorts and he looks back at her, the twinkle in his eyes still in place. "I take it you've already had a tour of the place? If not, well. Too bad because I don't do that."

"It's fine, I'll manage. I'm sure by lunch I'll know this place like the palm of my hand."

"Well, good." He nods, and they walk side by side in silence for a minute. She sips her forgotten coffee and grimaces because it's already cold as she throws it out at a trash can they pass by. She makes a mental note to ask him if there's somewhere she can get a fresh cup when his voice cuts through her thoughts. "How come we've never crossed paths? It's not like this is the first time I've needed a new assistant."

"But it was the first time in a very long time I've needed a job. An assistant like me doesn't stay jobless for long." He looks impressed at that, or maybe he's mocking her, but she goes on. "And the fact that you've had to go through quite a few people tells me a lot about you."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" He pauses and crosses his arms, a challenging look taking over his face.

"Such a pretty face, no one knows what's inside," she replies in a mockingly disappointed tone. As she keeps walking, she cringes internally for what she let slip and hopes he didn't notice. Which he did, judging by the boyish smile he throws her as he's back to walking by her side.

"You think I'm pretty?" She tries to keep her own smile subdued, rolling her eyes instead.

"Rein it in or else you're losing another assistant, Mr. Specter."

They stop at what seems to be the door to his office, which he opens for her to get in. He smiles again, though this time it seems more genuine.

"Harvey is fine, and I don't think you're getting rid of me so soon. Now come on, let me bring you up to speed."

_ii._

There is no reason he is going to this goddamn blind date with Louis' friend, and he spends the entire path from the firm to the restaurant wondering why he agreed to it.

(He knows why. Louis would never shut up about it unless he agreed, and sometimes he's just not in the mood for his whining. Well, no, that's not right. He's _never_ in the mood to listen to Louis.)

Still, there are two outcomes: either the woman he's meeting is terrible (which he is expecting; it is _Louis's friend_ after all) and he can have a reason to kill Louis for putting him through this, or she's hot and he can have a one-night stand and lie to Louis about it so he can have a reason to kill him, anyway.

And that's not to say he isn't still considering checking her out and leaving in case she's not to his liking. (Okay, no. He's not a stupid teenage boy to stand her up. He'll show up, have dinner and who knows, maybe something good will come out of it.)

As he arrives at the restaurant and asks the waiter for his reserved table, he's informed that his date is already there – and he's glad he's already discarded his plan to stand her up, because it'd be a total bust. But the fact that she's Louis's friend doesn't leave his mind, and he doesn't know what to expect. He takes a deep breath and lets his most winning smile adorn his features.

As he approaches the table he notices the back of her head, _a redhead,_ and the smile turns more genuine, involuntarily. _Damn Louis,_ he thinks. There's no way the guy knew about his crush on redheads since he's never mentioned Mrs. Garfield to anyone, but of course he has to make this more difficult for Harvey.

She could still be pretty dull, he reminds himself. Not that the hornier side of his brain cares about that now.

He stops at the table and as she glances at him, his very first thought is that Louis may live to see another day. (His second thought is _holy shit what the hell is this woman doing on a blind date._ )

"Donna?"

She raises one perfect eyebrow as he sits down in front of her, and he can't even take his eyes off her.

"I thought you'd take one look at me and leave before I even see you."

"That would be impossible."

Donna smirks. "That was _my_ plan, but you got here late…"

"Okay, I got here five minutes late. You're too early." He laughs at her narrowed eyes. "And yes, I'd do it too. But like I said, it'd be impossible to leave after seeing you."

She bites her lower lip and Harvey swallows a groan at the last second, thankful for the waiter approaching their table with menus and interrupting whatever embarrassing thing was about to leave his mouth. He orders a scotch and she orders wine, and they take a moment to peruse the menus and discuss what they could order for dinner.

"So, Louis tells me you're an actress. How did you even meet him?" He asks as they sip their newly arrived drinks.

"Back when acting wasn't paying my bills, I was a legal secretary. Louis would sometimes show up at the firm I used to work for, we'd chat and found out we had things in common –"

"I can't believe you'd have anything in common with Louis. Should I be worried?"

"He's into theater." Harvey looks at her blankly, and she frowns. "Aren't you friends?"

"What? _No,_ " he says, shaking his head firmly. "You know him. Do I look like I'd be friends with him?"

Donna gives him a look and concedes. "I do know him and he is quite eccentric. He's a good guy though, I mean, I'm here because he got me an audition with a director he knows, and for that I'll be forever grateful."

Harvey smiles softly, watching her face as she looks at him sheepishly, and tells himself to give Louis a compliment sometime this week. He's sure it'd make his day.

"Guess that's the one good thing Louis has ever done in his life."

"Harvey," he can see she's trying to sound stern, but the smile doesn't leave her lips. "If you don't even like the guy, how did you end up on a blind date set up by him?"

"You know how I ended up on a blind date. The same way you did."

"He wouldn't shut up about it." She nods solemnly. "It doesn't bother me that I've been single for a while, but the way he put it, it made me feel like adopting 3 cats already."

Harvey laughs. "So, enough about Louis."

She nods and laughs and he feels like it must be a good sign that he's already making her laugh and smile so much, which gives him a weird feeling he can't name because it's not like he ever tries hard to make someone smile.

Actually, he doesn't even care for that and yet…

Yeah whatever, he's into her. _Goddamn Louis_.

"Do you think I'd have been lucky enough to have you work for me? Back when you were a secretary." It's an hour later, they've been talking non-stop about whatever comes to mind over their dinner. There's something about her that the more he talks, the more at ease he feels. He hasn't felt that way in a while, especially on a date, and he doesn't want the feeling to go away.

She thinks about it for a few seconds. "Maybe, who knows…" she trails off, scrunching up her nose. It makes her look cute. "We definitely wouldn't end up here, though. I don't date people I work with."

"Then I am very glad we never met professionally." He smiles more genuinely than he intended and before he changes his mind, his hand brushes hers on the table, just for a beat or two. She sucks in a breath, looking from him to their hands and back to him again. He doesn't know what to make of the look on her face.

"Hmm, not so sure about that. I was a stellar secretary," she jokes, and the moment (and it was a moment, he's sure of it) is gone. They talk some more; he asks about her job, she says her upcoming play will start in a few weeks and he tells her he will see it (and he scares himself a little at the amount of commitment he's already putting on their relationship – he nearly visibly shudders at himself throwing around words like _relationship_ in his head.); he tells her about his dad and his love for music, she says she'd like to listen to Gordon's records sometime; they talk about everything and anything and when they notice it's almost midnight, and she has to get home because she has rehearsal in the morning.

They're silent as they get ready to leave; Harvey doesn't know about her, but he definitely doesn't want their night to end. They walk side by side as they exit the restaurant, his fingers brushing hers, itching to hold her hand and take her home and touch every inch of her body all night long.

(He knows he won't. He took the hint when she said she had rehearsal, plus he gets the feeling she isn't one to have sex after one date. Surprisingly, for once, he's fine with it.)

They stand on the street, a comfortable silence washing over them. He doesn't really know what to say – should he throw caution to the wind and ask her to go home with him anyway? Call a cab for her and let her go on her way?

Her voice cuts through his musings. "Listen, Harvey, I had a really good time tonight."

"Me too," he smiles.

She opens her mouth to continue, but he cuts her off. "I want to see you again," the words are out of his mouth before he can stop them, and he's glad for the moment of impulsiveness.

Donna bites her lower lip around a smile and he looks at her as if he wants to soothe it with his own mouth. He wants to be the one biting it. "Okay."

She moves her left hand as if to signal for a cab, but before he knows it it's around his neck and she's much closer, looking from his eyes to his lips, the action a very clear silent question. Harvey grabs her waist and pulls her even closer still; he cocks his head, dropping his eyes to her lips too. She brings her other hand up to his shoulder, locking them behind his neck so she can bring his mouth down to hers. He closes his eyes, coaxing her to open her mouth, which she did easily. Moaning, he nips on her bottom lip, and feels her bringing him impossibly closer, and he wonders at the back of his mind if they'll melt into one another. Then he wonders how can he even think of anything when her moans are filling his ears.

_Then_ it hits him they're in the middle of the street and it all seems a little inappropriate, even if there are very few people walking around. She seems to have the same thought as she slows down to small pecks.

"Harvey," she shudders and he drops a last kiss against her lips, still unwilling to let her go. She doesn't seem to be much better, her hands still locked behind his head, he feels her thumbs caressing his skin.

"I can't take you home, can I? Or vice versa. I'm not picky." His voice is hoarse and it's taking a lot in him not to overanalyze his reaction. He doesn't get this affected over a kiss, for god's sake. She breathes a laugh and shakes her head, though it's not like he didn't know the answer.

"Not today." Donna disentangles from him and asks, "When can I see you again?"

"As soon as you want to."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she gives him a teasing look and signals for a taxi passing by.

"Only to the hot redheads I make out in front of restaurants with," he grins. He can't help himself, he gives her another kiss. "Seriously, I'll call you." She gives him a doubtful look as she's stepping into the vehicle. "Really, I will."

"Sure you will." She stops right before getting in the vehicle. "You don't even have my number."

He glances at the impatient driver, then shrugs. "I'll ask Louis." He knows the fellow associate will milk this as much as possible, but he's ready for the onslaught.

She rolls her eyes, bows down to talk to the driver and he tries really hard not to stare at her ass. Obviously he fails, but soon enough she's standing again, giving him a piece of paper with a number.

Her eyebrows are still raised, but she smiles at him. "Prove me wrong."

Oh, he does. Gladly.

_iii._

The good thing about having worked for Jessica Pearson for so long is that Donna can already tell what her boss wants just by a few tells: the lilt in her voice, the hardness in her eyes, the way she cocks her head to the side.

So, when Jessica comes back to her office and passes by Donna's desk, sending in her direction a nonchalant glance, her eyebrows going up expectantly, Donna knows she wants a favor. Not that she is in a position to _ask for_ _favors_. She's her boss. Whatever Jessica tells her to do, she does.

She follows the woman and as she steps into the office, Jessica glances at the door. She wants it closed.

"Yes, Jessica?" She watches as her boss leans in front of her desk, hands clasped in front of her. She gives Donna a ghost of a smile then, the kind Donna knows very well – she won't like what's coming, but she will have to swallow her distaste.

"I have a task for you."

"Oh?"

"Harvey Specter is coming to work here again, as an associate, and I want you to keep an eye on him."

"The mailroom boy?" She asks, failing the actress in her as she does a poor job of containing her disdain.

Jessica smirks at the nickname. "Oh good, you already know him."

"I know _of_ him. And his reputation." She narrows her eyes, crossing her arms. Donna started at the firm a couple of months before Harvey left to go to law school, and while she never ran into him in those few weeks, she's heard how infuriating and cocky he was. Plus, she's heard some stories from Jessica over the years and how he slacked off.

And not only that, she's learned from her friends how he'd hit on them incessantly, just to get over them when the next pretty thing showed up. And that kind of sleazy behavior is not something she tolerates.

Bottom line is she has a feeling about him, and she's usually not wrong.

"I thought associates didn't get secretaries."

"Of course you won't be his secretary," Jessica scoffs and Donna can't help but feel a slight relief at that. " _I_ need you to watch him for a while, that's it."

"Why?"

Jessica raises one perfect eyebrow. "Because I'm your boss, and I say so."

Another good thing about having worked for Jessica for so long: she can do her little Donna magic, but she doesn't get any shit for it. Jessica might be tough, and everyone else might be scared to even look at her a certain way, but the two of them have always gotten along well.

"You've invested a lot on him and want to know if you're getting your money's worth. And you know I won't fall for his charms. I'm sure that's more useful than watching his performance in the next few months."

Jessica gives her a look, and she knows she wasn't supposed to find out that much about the whole Jessica-putting-Harvey-through-law-school thing. But she also knows Jessica must have been aware she definitely would know all about that. "It's not only about that, and you know it. We follow a code of conduct here. I want to know if he's apt to be a part of this firm."

Donna sighs, and Jessica looks apologetic. Well, at least a little, for her trained eye. "I see. But it isn't permanent, right?"

"Definitely. I won't let you get away from me."

"You know the only way I leave you is if I leave the firm," Donna says. "But I mean the babysitting."

Jessica breathes a laugh and shakes her head. She doesn't say anything in these moments – moments where Donna reassures her boss where her loyalties lie, but Donna knows how much she's thankful. They aren't friends; their relationship is strictly reserved to office hours, but there's a connection only people who have worked together for so long can form. Jessica's been through some thick and thin times at the firm, and Donna always did her best to stay by her side. Besides, Jessica doesn't treat her as a mere subordinate, unlike most lawyers in the firm, if she's honest. Their respect is mutual.

Jessica opens her mouth to reply, but stops as she glances behind Donna. "He's coming. You know what to do." She hears a knock behind her, and Jessica gestures for him to come in.

"Hey Jessica, you wanted to see me?" Harvey walks in, throwing a glance in Donna's direction.

"That's all for now, Donna." Jessica nods, dismissing her. She nods back, and walks back to her desk, but not before looking up and down at Harvey, frowning when she notices him checking her out too.

"Eyes here, Harvey," Jessica says, pursing her lips. Behind his back, Donna rolls her eyes at Jessica and laughs silently, and her boss turns to sit on her chair. Probably to avoid smirking to his face.

She keeps working on her desk, her attention half on the task in front of her and half on their body language, since Jessica turned the intercom off earlier. She hates it, always leaves it on when she's straightening her desk each morning, but Jessica strictly only uses it when she wants to talk to her. She always finds out the important things somehow, anyway. She's crafty.

Still, it doesn't work. Harvey has his back to her and doesn't move around, and Jessica's always been good at keeping a poker face. She pretty much always gets nothing from her expressions when she's talking to other people. She huffs in frustration and turns back to her work.

Donna notices from the corner of her eyes Harvey is leaving, and keeps her eyes on her desk, suddenly very interested in rearranging Jessica's calendar.

"Hey uh..." He taps his fingers on her desk, and she looks at him, eyebrows raised. He seems to wait for her to say her name.

"Donna."

"Right, Donna. Jessica said to tell you to give me some additional files for the Gunnar case?"

He's frowning, and she knows it's because he thinks he already had all the necessary papers. She thought so too, but she guesses she needs an excuse to go see him at his cubicle.

She keeps her face impassive; she might've given up on acting for now, but the years she studied theater weren't for nothing. "Oh, sure. I'll gather them and bring them to you later." She gives him a cordial smile.

"Ok. Good." He smiles back, briefly and turns to leave.

Well, she already didn't like him all that much because of his reputation and apparently the guy is impolite too. Great.

"Uh, you're welcome," she says to his back. He turns back with a good-natured smile then, all teeth and crinkly eyes and she hates herself a little for staring at it for a second too long.

She's Donna, she's stronger than that. She won't fall for a little too bright smile.

"Sorry?"

"I don't know what they taught you at that fancy law school you went to," she begins, pointing her Bic pen at him. "But I'm doing you a favor, and the least you could say is 'thank you'."

He breathes a laugh, crosses his arms. "You're not doing me a favor. You're doing what your boss told you to do."

She pauses for a millisecond, the movement probably imperceptible for anyone else, but he seems to notice and his smirk is infuriating.

"I don't have to bring them to you, though." She raises an eyebrow, crosses her arms. "Come back here later if you want them, then. Better for me, I don't have to drop everything to go there."

"Still a win-win for me." She frowns in response, and his flirty smile turns even flirtier, if it's possible. "I'll get to see you again anyway."

She gapes, outraged. "Listen. It might have worked before, and you can try all you want now, but it won't."

"What might have worked before?"

"This –" she gestures to him. "This whole hitting on everyone thing."

"Well," he perches himself on her desk and she hates how she feels like she's losing whatever this is. "I flirt. I like to flirt. If you fall for it, then, good. If you don't..." he trails off, shrugging.

"Let's just make it clear that I won't fall for you."

He shrugs again, looking at her as if saying, _what are you gonna do_. "Your loss." She rolls her eyes, and he gives her a small smile. "I'll come back in an hour then, to pick up the files. _Thank you_ so much for this, Donna." Harvey hops off, gives her a small smile and leaves, leaving Donna feeling like she definitely lost the argument.

She groans, getting up to walk to the file room. She has a feeling her life's about to turn into hell.

_iv._

Harvey watches as Bertha comes back from Cameron's office, heaving a sigh. He groans internally – her talk with her boss must not have been good, which might get in the way of him getting what he wants.

He watches her from his office for a few seconds, waiting to see if she relaxes a little, maybe forget whatever Cameron scolded her for. But he's Harvey Specter, and he doesn't get intimidated by secretaries who are put off by their bosses. He sighs and gets up from his chair, plastering a smile on his face as he approaches her desk.

"Hey, Bertha."

She glances at him and turns back to her computer. "Harvey."

Well. He can't say he expected a better reaction. He perches on her desk, still giving her his signature smile.

"Looking good today. I take it you had a good weekend?"

"Get off my desk and just tell me what you want already."

He jumps, his smile turning sheepishly. "I need a favor."

"I figured."

"Do you know Donna Paulsen?"

Bertha finally stops typing and looks up to him, narrowing her eyes. "What do you want with her?"

"You know my secretary quit. Like the past two."

"Uh-huh."

"And I've heard she's the best." Bertha raises an eyebrow at that. "I would love it if you came to work for me but it's not like Cameron's gonna let you go, is it?"

She sighs. "Nah, I'm not trading him for you. When you leave us high and dry, you know he's gonna get me fired because I left him."

Harvey smiles apologetically. "And I don't want you to lose your job."

"But you want Donna to lose hers."

"Bertha –"

She fixes with him a look. "Donna is great at her job and more than that, she's a great person. And she needs this. So yeah, I've seen the revolving door of secretaries but I know you ain't easy. You're not going to run her off."

He hates that's his reputation – it's not that he's tough on them, but he needs someone sharper, in tune with him and his needs. Not someone who spends most of her time on the phone, or flirting, or talking to whoever. He's not asking much.

Donna seems different, though. All he's heard about the woman is praises like she's the best assistant around, she's very diligent, she knows what you need even before you ask. He needs someone like that.

"Alright, I won't." He raises his eyebrows. "Although I did hear she's not staying either."

Bertha narrows her eyes at him, rolls them, and relents. "You didn't hear it from me, okay? She needs time to go to her auditions. You see, she wants to be an actress, but a girl's got to pay her bills." He nods. "So, you offer her that, and you're set."

"Okay…" He processes the new information in his head, already forming the arguments he'll use on her.

"I still don't know why you want her specifically. I swear if you're doing this because you have any ulterior motives –"

He doesn't, for once and for multiple reasons: one, it is known around the DA's office that Donna is one of the best people to work with. And he's tired of having assistants who don't do their jobs, and he ends up doing their tasks for them. And second, he has no idea what this Donna looks like, actually. She might as well be a 70-year-old woman.

"Don't worry, Bertha." He rolls his eyes. "I will be on my best behavior."

"She works on the fifth floor. Red hair, you won't miss her." He smiles in thanks, relieved, but before he can leave she stops him. "You better treat her right."

Harvey nods and starts to wonder where did this Donna come from and if she's made of glass to be treated with such care.

He goes up to the fifth floor and navigates easily as he looks around, the floor design being the same as the one he works on. She's easy to spot too among all the other secretaries, all poise and focus, red hair flowing down her shoulders. Someone calls her name and she looks up with a smile, laughs at whatever they said, turns back to the paper she was reading. The tip of her pen softly hitting her bottom lip as she bites it, then turns her focus to the computer in front of her.

The first thought in his head is: she's hot. Really hot, and it's all her because there's nothing about her outfit that makes her stand out in a sexy way, which is just a plain black skirt and a boring argyle sweater.

The second is, he might be in danger if he doesn't ignore the first one.

He approaches her desk and coughs to get her attention.

"Donna Paulsen?"

"Who wants to know?" She replies, her eyes not leaving the computer screen.

"Harvey Specter."

"Hmm," she finally looks up from her screen to him, her eyebrows raised. "And what does the ADA wants with me?"

"I have a proposition." She raises an eyebrow. "I want you to come work for me."

"Hmm, really?" She smirks. "Why should I work for you?"

"I happen to know your boss is retiring." He smirks back, putting his hands his pockets, his posture relaxed. She looks him up and down and he thinks she might be checking him out. He tries to tone down his cockiness at that thought.

"So?"

"So… you're gonna need a job?"

"Still doesn't answer my question."

He opens his mouth to reply and pauses. "Shouldn't _I_ interview you?"

"Yes, but you see," she starts. "About three more people are waiting for my boss to leave so they can get rid of their own secretaries to hire me. I'm _not_ gonna be out of a job," she smiles, looking back at her computer. She types some more and gets up, walks to a corner where there's a printer.

He narrows his eyes and follows her. "But you haven't chosen."

"What?" She glances from the machine to him, a small frown on her face. He tries hard not to smirk again, finally being able to make her crack, but fails.

"You don't know where you're gonna go yet because you haven't chosen, and maybe it's because you don't want to work for any of those three other people."

"Look, Mr. Specter," she says, finally turning to focus on him fully. She crosses her arms, the action making her breasts pop up and he tries really hard not to look down at them. Which is tough, because well, they're right there. "I know you're in need of an assistant but I also know about your little problems to keep one. And I need this job."

He groans. "It's not my fault if they were more interested in chatting up with everyone than working." Donna scoffs, grabbing the stack of paper from the printer and walking back to her desk. Once again, he follows. "Look. You have glowing recommendations. I need someone I can trust. And your ambitions go beyond the walls of this building, like mine, so we can help each other."

That makes her pause. "How can we help each other?"

"I know you need time for auditions. And as long as you manage to get your job done, you can leave whenever you want if you work for me."

"I've got to stop telling Bertha about my business." She narrows her eyes at him.

Harvey smirks. "So? Do we have a deal?"

"You'll really let me leave whenever I want."

"I really will."

She purses her lips, staring at him. He can feel all the other pairs of eyes on them, the other assistants around pausing their work to pay attention. He kind of wants to turn and tell everyone to mind their business, but a bigger part of him wants to keep this staring match they've got going on.

She sighs, sitting back at her desk. "I'll think about it," she says, and her look tells him he'd better not argue.

He smiles. "You know where to find me."

.

A week later, no news from Donna and Harvey is considering hiring someone. He stops by Bertha's desk, excuses already on the tip of his tongue; he's waiting for the day the woman will flat out refuse to help him out, and he can't even blame her. She's been doing the job for two people for weeks now.

He gives her an innocent smile, but before he can open his mouth she beats him to it.

"Good morning and thank god I do not need to do this anymore," she says. He frowns, confused, and she gestures behind him. He turns to a redhead sitting at the previously empty assistant desk, already looking like she owns the place.

He turns back to Bertha, frowning, the woman looking at the work on her desk like she was trying really hard not to smirk.

"Did you know about that?"

She chuckles, then shakes her head. "I knew nothing."

He approaches Donna, smiling, still confused.

"Good morning. There are some documents you need to sign, I fixed your whole calendar which looked atrocious and Cameron wants to see you in his office. Oh and I have an audition in three days, so our agreement better holds up."

"When did– how did– you didn't tell me you were coming."

"Gotta keep you on your toes." She rolls her eyes, then raises her eyebrows in curiosity. "So?"

Now it's his turn to roll his. "Yes, our agreement holds up. I do keep my word."

"Good." She gives him a winning smile, so luminous he can't help but give her a small smile in return. She stretches her right hand and he shakes it. "I think this will be the beginning of a beautiful alliance.

_v._

She's leaving the stage after her scene when she catches the first glimpse of him. At first, she thinks her mind is playing tricks on her - of course, that's all it can be; there's no reason for this random guy she met at a bar (and had a drunken one night stand with, her brain makes sure to add) to be at her play.

She even remembers, very well in fact, how he said he didn't like the theater. She remembers a lot of things from that night, despite the alcohol in her system - from the way he was pretty interesting to talk to despite sounding like a cocky lawyer, to the way she fleetingly thought he knew exactly what to do to make her come.

(She also remembers how curious she got after he smiled wistfully when he mentioning his father, and how he was so quick to match her wit, how he convinced her to stay after round one and they'd ended up having an even better round two, and how she felt so bad after leaving his condo in the morning before he woke up, even knowing he does not do relationships. And she doesn't want the headache, or heartache.)

She shakes her head and focuses on her present, reminding herself she's in the middle of her performance. She can't dwell on men from her past. It's probably not even him, it's way too far for her to be sure, anyway.

She takes a deep breath and comes back on stage, successfully makes sure no thoughts other than her lines get into her head. And by the time she finishes her performance she's forgotten everything about the guy who might be Harvey.

Until she sees him again.

And if she thought she could successfully avoid him (they live in New York, it's a crowded city), she was dead wrong.

She's at a little after-party backstage, still in costume, full makeup, a long black wig completing her look. She's listening to a few accolades from the play's director – trying to contain her pride as he tells her that he's already working on something else and she'll be hearing from him soon – when she notices the damn guy approaching from her peripheral vision, an older man trailing behind. Silently wishing they'll walk past them, she keeps her attention on whatever her director is saying.

"Excuse me," he says and Donna finally looks at his face. She gets tense, but Harvey only spares her a glance, then turns to the director. Nothing in his face indicates that he knows her. She frowns slightly but keeps quiet.

He's introducing himself to the director, explaining he's a friend of Louis Litt – her director's eyes light up in recognition –, and that the man beside him is a client who was so excited to meet the cast and crew after the play, yadda yadda yadda. They keep talking, mostly the client and the director, and Harvey just stands beside them, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. She'd be amused by this, except he doesn't look at her once, so she's pissed.

The client showers her in praises and it's the first time in the conversation Donna's acknowledged, which for once doesn't bother her. She's still seething about the guy that slept with her not even a month ago and apparently doesn't remember.

The director finally introduces her, the fact that she didn't do that herself before a bigger sign that she is thoroughly annoyed by Harvey's behavior. Her eyes flicker to Harvey for a second before settling on the client, smiling at him. Harvey keeps a blank expression, just nodding, absently agreeing with the client, still acting like he really doesn't remember her.

She excuses herself before she says something she regrets and goes to her dressing room to change, and overthink about _that_ night.

He wasn't even that drunk – neither of them was, not to the point of completely forgetting what happened.

On one hand, she doesn't know why she's so angry when she was the one who left his apartment early in the morning when he was still sleeping. They didn't even exchange numbers. They don't owe each other anything. Hell, she doesn't even know his last name.

On the other hand, it feels like a massive blow to her ego; she's not ready to accept that she might've been so bad that now it's better to pretend she's a stranger.

Donna Paulsen doesn't take massive blows to her ego lightly.

In her dressing room, she takes off her makeup, her wig, and finally dresses down to her jeans and sweater, feeling more like herself. She loves her job but getting rid of all that makes her character brings her immense relief. It'd be even better if she could just go home so she can relax around her house, with no one-night stands nearby, but people would notice if she left so soon. And as one of the leads, she has to stay and mingle for at least an hour or two.

She decides to forget about Harvey throughout the whole evening. She'll just chat with a few people, drink a glass of wine or two, and then leave. The space is big enough, she can manage without running into him.

( _Sure_ , the little rational voice in her head says. You failed not running into him in the big city you both live in, but you'll succeed now. _Of course._ )

As she's out in the main room she grabs a glass of wine from a waiter passing by and drinks, sighing at the welcome taste, finally managing to relax. She spots a friend of hers, who approaches with a big smile on her face that turns into a frown as she gets closer.

"Okay, what happened?"

Donna takes a sip of her wine and glances around. She takes a deep breath, and she knows Rachel is going to get on her case. "Remember when you stood me up, and I hooked up with this lawyer guy."

"And you just left without even getting his number, yes."

Donna rolls her eyes at the dig. "So –"

Rachel gasps. "Oh my god, he's here."

"Yes." Rachel grins and opens her mouth to speak, but Donna cuts her off. "He's ignoring me."

"What?"

"I was talking to the director and he showed up to introduce this client with him, and he acted like he didn't know me."

Rachel grimaces. "Ouch." She gives Donna a sympathetic look, which she hates because she doesn't want her pity, she wants that damn lawyer to remember her. "Maybe he was drunker than you were."

"If that's true then it's very good to know his performance isn't affected by alcohol, only his memory." She rolls her eyes.

They walk around, Donna nodding and waving at one person or other that she knows, congratulating other members of the cast while sipping her drink and chatting with Rachel. She thinks she's doing a good job of avoiding him until she hears Rachel gasping by her side.

"Oh my god, that guy works at the firm."

"Who?" She looks in the direction Rachel is pointing and sees Harvey talking with the client, the guy animatedly gesturing while he just nods.

"Oh shit, that's him."

"Who?"

"The guy, Rachel! That's him."

She'd roll her eyes at how slow Rachel is to catch on things, but her friend turns with a too shocked expression.

"You slept with _Harvey_?"

Donna cringes at how loud Rachel sounds, because he appears to have heard his name being called, but thankfully does not spot them.

"Next time, be louder. I don't think security outside heard you."

"Sorry," Rachel says, not looking sorry at all.

She turns her back to him, mostly to stop herself from staring at him too long and somehow getting his attention, but it turns out to be a problem because Rachel is right in his line of sight. And he sees her, from the way her friend is alarmingly whispering _he's coming_.

"Rachel? Didn't expect to see you here." Donna hears his voice behind her and rolls her eyes. She suddenly wishes she had faked a headache and gone home.

"Uh…" She looks apologetic at Donna for a second before focusing on him, pointing at her. "My friend is in this play."

He looks from Rachel to her, and his eyes widen.

"So you remember," she mutters, apparently loud enough that both of them hear.

"What? Of course, I do." He wiggles his eyebrows, smirking. "You're hot."

She hears Rachel snort, then excusing herself leaving the two of them alone. She shoots daggers at her friend, but the woman just grins widely at her. She turns back to the guy in front of her.

"It didn't seem like it before."

"Before?" Harvey looks genuinely confused, she'll give him that.

"You were introducing your client to the director? That was me beside him."

He pauses, frowning. "But you had black –"

"A black wig, yeah." She really doesn't get how a seemingly very smart guy just can't recognize a woman he met mere weeks before, just by the fact she had a wig and makeup. And yet…

She wants to hold on to her annoyance somehow, but it's starting to dissipate.

"Look," he starts. "I might be an ass and I hook up with a lot of women, but I wouldn't purposefully ignore you. I'd just avoid you if possible." He smirks and she snorts before she can stop it. "Not _you_ specifically, of course." He gives her a charming smile, looking very much like the hot guy she met before. Damn him.

She narrows her eyes at him. "Are you hitting on me?"

"If it works, I'm not gonna say no." He shrugs, then his smile softens. "I really didn't recognize you. I'm sorry."

She sighs, trying still to hold on to her annoyance, even if she doesn't even have a reason now.

"It's fine."

He sips on his drink. "By the way, you were amazing up there. And I don't care for theater, so I mean it."

"Thank you." Donna smiles, her smile widening when she remembers his distaste the first time he told her that. He probably doesn't even remember. She'll let this one slide.

They drink in silence for a few moments, and Donna looks at the people around them – including Rachel, who seems to be watching them from the bar and the client looking around, possibly looking for his lawyer.

"Listen, I'm leaving soon because I'm tired of kissing ass." She snorts as he nods at the client at the other end of the room, rolling his eyes. He gives her a boyish smile, eyes glinting, and she thinks whatever he says next it'll be very hard to say no to. "Think you can get out of here soon?"

Damn it.

She groans internally; she can't be that easy, even though that's all she wants to do now – though maybe she's not thinking of lying around her apartment anymore. She raises her eyebrows, sips the last of her wine. "Why?"

"We could go somewhere to drink."

She gestures her wine glass at him. "We are drinking."

"Come on," he says, giving her a look. "Maybe I just want to be at a more private place, where people won't try to steal you away every two minutes."

"People haven't tried to steal me away for a few minutes, now." She smirks, delighting herself at how he rolls her eyes at her. She's being a little shit, and he knows it.

"Donna."

"I distinctly remember you saying one night stands are all they are, and you never have the intention to meet up with the person again."

"Well, it doesn't have to get to _that._ " She raises her eyebrows. "I'm not gonna say no, but I really just want to go have a drink."

Yeah, she remembers how they also did not plan to end up at his place that first time.

"Okay," she sighs. Who is she kidding, she does want to see him again. She gives him her number ("You should've just left a note when you left my apartment," he'd said, to which she just smirked and asked if he'd call. He'd just smiled sheepishly.), telling him to call her when he's done getting rid of his client.

She gathers her things and goes put up with Rachel's never-ending teasing, thankful for his interrupting call half an hour later when he says he's at the front. She rolls her eyes at Rachel's smirk, promises her she'll tell all the details.

She really does believe they'll go out to drink, until she meets him again, and he gives her such an intense look the next thing she knows he's grabbing her by her waist and kissing her and she's kissing him back and they go to her apartment instead.


End file.
